Take this mask, I don't need it anymore!
by ladymorgaine76
Summary: Every Rogue knows Tycho's pastime is sighing over Wes Janson...everyone except the Taanabian, that is! Hobbie's meddling might actually do some good this time... Wes is box full of surprises...and secrets...some of them gloomy.


**Hoth, 2 ABY**

"He's at it again..." Hobbie muttered. He glanced at Tycho, sulking all alone in another table, while he tried concentrating on his game enough not to be wiped out by Dash.

Wedge took his eyes from the Sabaacc game and looked straight at Hobbie.

"Who's at it again?" He asked. 

"Tycho!" Hobbie pointed on the Alderaanian's direction. "I mean, look at him! Every time Wes gets dragged by some chick, he goes to a corner and stays there with a mournful face..."

"It's your fault!" The Corellian accused him.

"My fault? How exactly is this my fault? It's not like I told him, _'hey Tych! I have a good idea! Why don't you get the hots for Janson?'_ , now did I?"

Dash Rendar snorted, shaking his head and looking sideways at the Raltiirian.

"He's your friend, Bacta-boy! You should have already pulled him aside and talked to him!" The red haired pilot shot back at him. "The kid's wasting his time on Janson..."

"He's right...It's not like Wes will suddenly develop a crave for guys, you know?" Wedge threw another chit on the table. His Corellian luck must have taken a stroll, because he was starting to feel his pockets going lighter by the minute... "I should now! I tried!"

On the other side of the RecRoom, Lieutenant Wes Janson was actually having a good day! The girl at his side had just invited him into somewhere more...private! No way was he going to pass the offering of such a pretty little thing, like that maintenance girl...

The Taanabian wrapped his arm around her waist, and both headed for the exit.

"Don't wait for me, Hobbs!" He bellowed at his wingmate.

On the other table, an already miserable Tycho groaned with frustration.

He tried...gods knew he tried with all his strength to put his obsession over Wes behind his back...

But to no avail...the more he tried to convince himself this was a dead end, the more he felt himself falling for the dark haired pilot.

More than once had he lingered on the showers, just to get a glimpse of the Taanabian's body...

...and what a body!

There was a lot to appreciate there! The broad shoulders; the fit body, that didn't even needed that much work out to look muscled, although not exaggerated; his tanned colouring and golden-brown eyes, that gave him such an exotic look!

He was falling fast! And for what? For a guy who was too busy chasing anything female and that treated him like a kid?

Tycho got up, taking his bottle of ale with him. He didn't even look at his friends as he left the RecRoom and headed for the quarters he shared with Dash.

 **ststststststs**

Wes woke up in the middle of the night. He felt like his head could split in two...Too much lum, of course!

He looked at the brunette sleeping at his side...nothing...he felt nothing...

Maybe it was for the best, that he seemed to be unable to attach himself to anyone! After all, any day could be his last day in this galaxy!

Flying an X-Wing was not exactly a safe job!

Still, it would have been good to find someone he'd want to come back to. Someone to give more sense to his life.

Even his sister Mia had found someone! Ok, maybe not the right guy in his opinion...Imperial Generals were not desirable in-laws...but the last he'd gotten any intel on her, from his cousin Dev, she seemed to be leading a good life in Corellia!

Janson picked up his clothes, got dressed and got out of there before the sleeping woman could wake up.

" _Nice Janson...Real mature! Bang and run!"_

It wasn't the right thing to do, but what the hell! Everyone knew his reputation. If this girl had decided to make a move on him, then she knew damn well what she was in for! It's was not like she was a new addition to the staff! She'd been around since Yavin, so...

He got to his quarters and, trying not wake up Hobbie, he slipped in the room, changed his clothes and got into bed, trying to go back to sleep.

His headache was giving him a hard time and after an hour of tossing and turning, he gave up and got up.

He took out his training bag, and headed for the makeshift gym in that ice ball they now called home...

 **stststststst**

Hobbie was running through the icy corridors, trying to get to Tycho before they were deployed on their scouting mission.

"Tych! Wait up man!"

The blonde pilot turned to him with a smile.

"Going out of shape, Hobbs? You ran faster than that on Prefsbelt..." He sniggered.

"I can't kriffin breath properly. It's too damn cold!" Hobbie protested. "Remind me again on who's fault is it that we're here, and not some place else warmer?"

"Last time I checked, we'd all agree that it was Luke's fault!"

"Right..."

"What were you running for, anyway? "

"Needed to talk to you...in private."

Tycho looked at his friend suspiciously. It was a given that Hobbie was looked serious, but he had that other kind of serious look he put on when he had something unpleasant to say...

"What happened?" He asked.

"It's about Wes..."

"Ok, hold it right there...last time I checked, I have nothing whatsoever to do with Wes' problems!"

Hobbie stopped in front of his friend, giving him a stern look.

"Let's not pretend I'm blind!" He scoffed at Tycho. "I know damn well you've been miserable over Wes! You got a crush on him and the guy only does chicks! So, in my view, you have a problem!"

"If I do, it's my problem! I can solve it on my own!"

"Sure...You've been doing a great job so far..."

The blond man looked away, avoiding Hobbie's stare.

"I'm trying...I swear I am..." Tycho murmured. "You think I don't know I'm invisible to him?"

"You're not invisible, Tych...you're just not..."

"...female..." The Alderaanian concluded. "I know..."

He stepped away and kept walking towards the hangar.

"Tych..." Hobbie called out. But the other man never even turned to him. He heard heavy footsteps behind and turned to see Wes waving at him.

"Nice day to go on a snoop and scoot, hey?" Wes patted him on the back. "What's wrong with the kid? Looks like he's going to a funeral...2

"It's going to be your funeral, if you don't don't stop acting like an asshole..." Hobbie grunted at his friend, shooting him a murderous look.

"Me? What have I done?" Wes protested.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but Hobbie was really getting tired of seeing Tycho hurting over Wes! And he was stuck on the unenviable place of being good friends with both...

"You exist! That's pretty much all you have to do! That and picking up scores of girls right on his nose!" He bellowed.

"What's he got to do with..." Wes froze in place. It couldn't be..."No, no, no...you're wrong...the kid doesn't...I mean..." He stammered.

" He does!" Hobbie confirmed him. "And I'll kill you if you mock him for it! He was my friend long before I met you! I know your preferences don't go that way, but do try to be a little less callous towards him! And stop treating him like a kid! He's 23!"

Wes felt like a hole could open under his feet at any time. Tycho was sweet on him...what the hell was he supposed to do now?

He couldn't avoid him! That would be cruel! Couldn't start being more friendly either, because then he'd get false hopes!

"Shit, shit, shit, shit..." He paced, muttering nervously.

"Wes...promise me you won't say a word to anyone!"

"Yeah..."

"Wes!"

"Ok! I promise!"

Both men walked towards the hangar. Wes was lost in his thoughts. He had no idea how to deal it all of it...

He glanced quickly at Tycho's snubfighter. The Alderaanian was already on the cockpit going through pre-flight checks...

What a mess... Why did life had to be so complicated?

Has if new he was being watched, Tycho rose his head and looked at Wes. The flash of pain there, gave Wes a pang of guilt.

He hadn't asked for this...for any of it...

He also hadn't asked for the beating his father had given him, all these years ago...and now it was coming back in waves of hurt and anger!

Hobbie had no idea what dark memories he'd just brought back with his revelation!

Like drawn to the other X-Wing, Wes found himself advancing to Tycho's fighter. He had no idea what he was doing...

He climbed the ladder to face the Alderaanian.

"You need something?" Tycho asked coldly.

"Yeah...I need to talk to you!"

"I'm a bit busy now..." He pointed at the control panel.

"Still..." Wes squinted at him. Tycho was defensive...shutting him out.

"Listen Janson...whatever's your problem, it will have to wait. You should be on your X-Wing and _we_ should be going over take-off protocols..."

"I know." Wes conceded. " Just don't run off after the missions debriefing, Ok? I really need to talk to you..."

Tycho gave him a suspicious look, but the Taanabian was giving nothing away.

"Alright Wes..." He agreed. He had no idea what Wes could possibly want to talk with him. "But I swear, if this is just one of your elaborate pranks..."

"It's not!Trust me!"

"Trust you...right..." He gave him a wan smile.

Wes jumped to the floor and bolted for his X-Wing, taking a last look at Tycho's fighter before he got on his cockpit and ran pre-flight checks and take-off protocols.

He could feel his heart pounding on his ears! What in the name of Ithylia was he doing?

Challenging his father's strictness and tyranny that's what he was doing! The old slug was dead for 13 years now...but he had still held had grip on him.

Not anymore!

The hell with it!

The first time he'd come across the Alderaanian, he knew he wouldn't be able to go on lying to himself any longer. One day it would be too much...One day he'd grow tired of shallow affairs with scores of women that left him empty and bitter...

One day he would have to admit it...what he knew when he was just a kid...what his father had tried beating out of him!

The nightmares had come back in full force since Tycho had been extracted on Dantooine.

The screams...

His father wrath...

His mother's blood chilling pleas...

Her sudden silence...

The crack of the belt...

The pain and the blood...

He forced his mind back into the present day, as the roll call began through the crackle of the comm. He heard Hobbie's voice and he stood in attention.

"Rogue Four, standing by! Four lit and ready to rumble!" He cheered...a mock cheer, but he had to pull himself together. Soon it would all be over.

At least now he knew...

"Rogue Five, standing by..." Tycho's voice came calm and controlled as always, the musical tone of his Alderaanian accent coming through the comm. Wes smiled in his cockpit, his dark thoughts completely pushed aside now.

Yes he knew...

Tycho wanted him!

Just like he'd been wanting him for the last year and a half!

He was done with fighting against it! Now he knew damn well what he was going to do...he was going to back Tycho against the nearest, most secluded corner and kiss that man senseless!

He took off into the dark of space, feeling like he'd just awaken from a deep slumber. His life was about to change for the better!

All he had to do was get his ass back in one piece, and make sure Tycho would get back in the same condition too...

Can't kiss a guy properly when one of the elements was floating on a Bacta tank!

 _(End of chapter I)_

 **stststststst**

 **Chapter II**

"Four, three...break to port, I'm on this sucker!" Hobbie voice came strained through the comm.

A snoop and scoot mission...

Of course!

Except no one invited these eyeballs to the party! At least it wasn't an Impstar, just a Victory I class! Much easier...

Wes broke to port as Hobbie fired his quad lasers on the bogey behind him, but two more were on his tail.

He dived to try and shake them, avoiding to get caught on their brackets.

"I had plans, you assholes!" He muttered to himself. "And you weren't in them!"

He heard the commlink crackling, recognizing his squadmates voices. Luke and Wedge were giving the eyeballs a run for their money, and Dash and Tycho seemed to be holding it together too!

Nine and twelve were gone, trying to defend seven's snoopfighter.

The ten of them were trying to hold them back, just enough to pull their lightspeed jump.

They would have to make a series of jumps, if they were to get back to Hoth without being tracked!

Those two bogeys were really starting to irritate him!

An Ion came just a tad to close for comfort...they were trying to fry his circuits and leave him stranded...like a good vapebait!

No can do...he thought to himself. He had to get out of this mess.

"Four, five...pull up and bring 'em my way. I'll get them off your back!"

"Five, four...get your ass back to assisting Six! I got this!" Was Tycho nuts? Abandoning Rendar like that?

"Six is assisting One flight in a straffing run on that Vic One! Seven and the rest are clear for lightspeed jump, I'm supposed to come and get you..."

"Ah! Much better...Coming up real fast! You better be there..."

Wes pulled the yoke, speeding up bringing the TIEs with him.

"Zapper give Five's position. " He yelled at his R2 unit. The coordinates appeared on his board. "Ok, Zap...let's get these guys off of our tail!"

He got into position, waiting for Tycho to do his job. And there he was...right in front of him...head to head!

"What in Hell are you doing?" He snapped at Tycho. "You were supposed to be on my tail..."

" Trust me, will you?" Tycho answered. "When I tell you to move you move!"

Tycho flew his X-Wing straight into Wes' direction. He set his brackets on the position right behind Janson and called to the Taanabian.

"Up!"

Wes pulled up, getting out of his way. Tycho's targeting acquired one of the eyeballs and he launched a concussion missile.

The TIE Fighter blew up with such violence that it engulfed his wingmate, causing the other TIE to blow up as well.

Tycho dived, avoiding the explosion. Wes came down to meet him, shaking his head.

"That was stupid! You could have been caught up in the blast, or you could have miscalculated the trajectory of the missile, getting yourself in the other guys brackets!" Wes hissed at him.

"You're welcome!" Tycho grinned.

"We're gonna talk about this when we get back!"

"Of course..."

"I'm not joking!"

"That would be a first!"

Wes muttered to himself, clenching his hands in a choking gesture. At his starboard Tycho was visibly laughing.

"That only works for Vader!" Tycho teased him.

"Shut up..."

"You were the one who said you wanted to talk!"

Their comm crackled with another voice. "When you two knuckle heads are done..." It was Luke. "You might consider inserting the coordinates for the jump!" He chided them.

"Yes Sir..." They both acknowledged.

"Alright people, let's get this party home. On my mark, three, two, one..."

The remaining ten Rogues made their jump to lightspeed, evading the incoming TIEs the Vic One had deployed.

"Way to go kid!" Dash slapped Tycho on his back, almost making the Alderaanian fall.

"Watch it! It would be pretty stupid to go to Medbay over a broken nose, courtesy of my Wingman..." Tycho turned to the Corellian pilot, hitting him with a mock punch on his right shoulder.

"The dashing! The brave..." Dash announced loudly, pretending to have a mic on his hand and boasting like a Smashball commentator. "...the dumb Alderaanian that goes head to head with two...ladies and gentlemen...TWO eyeballs with only one missile...that's right dear spectators, one missile only! So tells us, oh daredevil Alliance hero..." He leaned to Tycho, like an interviewer.

Tycho covered his face with his hands, shaking his head and stifling a laugh.

"I'm going to hit you!" He squinted at his friend. "Shoo...go bother someone else for a change."

"See? That's not nice! The fame is getting to your head..." Dash waved his finger at Tycho. "Just because of that, I ain't paying you no lum!"

Tycho bowed in a theatrical way and with a gesture dismissed him and threw himself into the couch, while his wingman left for the RecRoom.

Feeling somewhat beat up from the encounter with TIEs, he soon dozed off.

When Wes stepped into the Rogues' meeting room, Tycho was already fast asleep on the couch. The Taanabian grinned at the picture the blond man presented, all curled up on the couch, his arms crossed and muttering unintelligible things...and with the occasional snore!

He tip toed near him, trying not to wake him up. He kneeled in front of Tycho, getting really close to his face.

"WAKE UP!" He yelled, laughing as the Alderaanian suddenly turned upwards and sat up, startled.

"For kriff's sake Wes!" He hollered at Wes. "Are you out of your mind? You have like zero common sense in that thick head of yours!"

Wes stood up, still laughing at the Alderaanian. "Rise and shine hotshot!" he patted him in the head, which earned Janson a slap in his hand. "You didn't think I forgot our little conversation, did you?"

"Listen, I'm worn out and I have no time for your antics right now."

"First, what kind of stunt was that, out there?"

"I call it saving your ass!" He boasted.

"That's nice...I call taking unnecessary risks! That head to head with the two eyeballs could have ended very badly!"

Tycho got up, making a face at Wes.

"Like you care!" He bit off, his bottled up frustration starting to show. "If I had been vaped into oblivion, it would have been nothing more than a nuisance to you! One that I'm pretty sure you'd get over really quick, with the next bimbo dumb enough to fall for your bullshit!" He felt like punching Wes! How unbelievably insensitive of him! He'd just stepped out to save him, and this was his thanks!

How very stupid of him, to waste his time pining over someone like the Taanabian...

He pushed Wes aside and started for the door, when he felt a hand gripping his arm.

He felt himself being pulled towards Wes, until he was face to face with him.

"I don't care?" Wes asked him, baffled by the other man's words. "Is that what you think? You could have died out there! One miscalculation, and you wouldn't be here...just like that..."He closed his hand and opened it again. "...poof! You would be gone...Tych...I..." Wes stared at the other man's face. Why was it so difficult to just open his mouth and say it? _"Tycho, I want you!"_ A simple sentence...four words...four sithspawned words...

The words were left unsaid, as he took the step forward that placed him right in front of him, so close they were almost touching!

Wes took Tycho's face in his hands and out of a sudden he moved in for a kiss.

As their lips met, Tycho gave a surprised moan, shivering in Wes' arms! The Taanabian pulled him closer, coaxing his lips to open so he could deepen the kiss.

This was so much more, than just the physical part of the kiss. A whole lot more than just having him surrendering in his arms!

This was about feeling the barriers crumble, his fears subsiding. How natural it was to let himself go with Tycho. How good it felt to finally do this!

He broke the kiss, looking into Tycho's eyes. Those beautiful ice-blue eyes that had mesmerized him since the day they first met.

Wes ran his hand through Tycho's cheek, resting his forehead on the Alderaanian's...So this was what it felt, to lose your heart to someone else! This was what it felt, to find home on someone else's arms!

A faint whisper rose from Tycho's lips.

"Wes..."

"Shh..." He nibbled Tycho's lips, toying with his mouth, depositing small, soft kisses on them, softly brushing them.

One of his hands was on the small of Tycho's back, pulling him closer, grinding their bodies together. The other was running through the Alderaanian's hair, eliciting a rough moan from him.

Both men backed up against the couch, until they collapsed on it, not letting go of each other.

Tycho parted his legs, inviting the closeness he yearned for. He felt every curve, every muscle against his own body, the warmth of Wes' breath as he started tracing his neck with his tongue, his hands feverishly caressing him, demanding more, exploring him...

He couldn't believe Wes was doing this to him...with him! It was so much better than any dream he'd ever had!

They knew this wasn't the place to give free reins to their desire. At any given moment someone could come in!

It was not the best position to be caught by their squadmates...

Wes gazed at Tycho with a naughty smile on his face. He pressed his hips harder on the blond man, stroking him as he moved on top of him. Tycho gasped as he kept arousing him with his swaying hips.

"Wes..."He whispered. "We can't...not here...please..."

The Taanabian's lips crushed on Tycho's, his tongue exploring his warm mouth. Wes grabbed the other man's hips grinding harder and harder, until he started to shake. He kept increasing the rhythm, his hard length trapped in his flightsuit slacks, his erection fully visible.

He'd never felt like this! He should stop! His mind told him to stop, but he was into deep now. And Tycho's protests had ceased too as the Alderaanian matched his rhythm, begging to come.

This was the sweetest madness he'd ever experienced!

A deep cry came out of their lips as both man reached climax! Their breaths uneven, holding close and trembling...all without even taking their clothes off!

"Wow..." Wes whispered ruggedly.

"Yeah..." Tycho kept his eyes locked with the dark haired pilot's...

"Kriff, this was amazing! Not even close to being enough...but amazing!"

" I was not expecting this!" Tycho moaned. " But you can do this to me whenever you want...and more!"

"I hoped you'd say that." Wes smiled. "I want you Tycho! So much..."

" I want you too. Always have. I just never believed you'd want this."

"You have no idea!" He declared. "We better get up and go change. I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to explain to Luke and Wedge why we look like a mess!"

Tycho offered him a wicked grin, as both of them got up.

"You think they ever did the same on this couch?" He asked naughtily.

"I'm trying not to think about it..." He pulled to a quick kiss, giving him a light slap on his butt. "You're all mine now! And I'm all yours too! But no more hotshot snubjockey stunts...I want you in one piece!"

"I _was_ following orders, Wes..."

"To help me? Yes...to go on pulling a daredevil stunt? I don't think so!"

"Alright silly! I promise! Now shut up and kiss me once more..."

"Gladly!"

(end of Chapter II)

 **Chapter III**

Tycho ran his hand through the place where Wes' body had rested only moments ago...

It had been one of those rare moments that they managed to share the same bed. Dash was currently on the 'grace moment' of his new relationship, so he started spending his nights with his new girlfriend. Which meant Wes could slip by unseen and spend most of the night with him.

It was a lot better than having to steal quick kisses and rushed encounters in the more secluded corners of the base...or the cockpit of their X-Wings...though the last options carried some risks!

Luke and Wedge were still having a hard time explaining the strange bruises they received, after being ejected by Wedge's X-Wing!

Their relationship was, for now, kept a secret. It had been his request, due to fearing that peer pressure in such an early stage of the affair would eventually take a toll on Wes. His previous reputation as a Lady-chaser would undoubtedly be used as a way to mock him...or so he feared!

Wes had been quite vocal about his choice, more than once he had reassured him that he didn't give a damn about others' opinions and that he was more than ready to come forward with the fact they were now a couple!

After all everyone was more than aware of Wedge and Luke's relationship, so theoretically there would be no issue about them either. All they had to do was, as their friends, be professional and separate both aspects of their lives.

Which didn't really take away completely Tycho's worries...

So, for the time being, they were going with this in 'secret' mode, no matter how much Wes growled about it!

Tycho slid over to that still warm place, where the Taanabian had laid by his side, taking in the scent that lingered on the sheets smiling at the memories of that night...the kisses, the caresses, the weight of Wes' body on his, the entwined fingers as both increased their pace, rushing for the pleasure that washed over them, as they learned each time more about the other's body and how to bring the other to climax!

Wes' rough moans on his ear still echoed in his memory, as he felt himself blush lost in his thoughts...

What a tender lover the Taanabian had revealed himself to be! So willing to explore all those things that had been unknown to him before...so accepting of everything Tycho had to offer him, even his physical _peculiarities_...

Sure he'd been surprised by it, and Tycho had feared it was enough to put him off. But he'd brushed his fears aside with a kiss.

The morning after Wes had admitted that he'd been quite happy to know that, in a way, he'd been Tycho's first!

So much for being terrified of admitting he was a hermaphrodite!

He slipped out of the bed, got dressed and headed for the showers.

Maybe Wes would have already left the gym and he would see him before breakfast...

He shook his head, smiling to himself. He really was absolutely head over heals about Wes!

"Nah...Something's wrong with you!" The tone in Hobbie's voice was half accusation, half real concern.

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Wes glared at him.

The Raltiirian had been pestering him for the last month, obviously having noticed something was different with Wes...If only Tycho hadn't been so adamant in keeping their relationship a damn secret!

He must have known Hobbie would pick up on the changes on him and would start making questions, after all that was his speciality...annoying his squadmates with pestering questions until he was satisfied!

"Shut up! Both of you!" Wedge kicked Hobbie under the table. "I'm getting tired of your bickering. Can enjoy my caf in silence?"

"That ain't caf Wedge...it's paint thinner that slightly resembles caf!" The Taanabian rose an eyebrow at the Corellian. "And this..." He picked up one of the ration bars. "...could be used to raise walls."

The other two pilots laughed at him, while Luke only nodded silently.

"Good morning." The lazy toned greeting announced Tycho's arrival. As always, he sat across Wes, by the side of his wingmate Dash Rendar. He felt the usual slight kick on his feet from his lover.

It was a small trivial thing, but for them it was becoming a daily gesture, something between them...

At any given time, Wes could just come up to him and do that without anyone being the wiser!

"So what's for today, boss?" He asked Luke.

"Watch rounds, so we can properly freeze our butts outside!" Skywalker answered with a twitch on the corner of his mouth.

"Don't even dare complaining!" Hobbie pointed at him. "You were the one who found this giant freezer, and had the bright idea of setting up shop here!"

Wedge smirked at Luke. "He's right..."

"Think about it like this...If we hate it enough to dream of getting out of here, there's a good chance the Imps don't believe us to be foolish enough to have our base here! Right?"

"Boss is right!" Wes observed. "I still hate this place, but he's made his point! We are most likely safer from the Imps here."

"See?" Hobbie squinted at Wes and then turned to the others. "He's not acting like his normal self...Wes is starting to actually make sense..." He grumbled.

Tycho snickered as Wedge rose just enough to reach Hobbie's neck, so he could slap it.

"I said shut up!" Antilles admonished him. "Leave him be! At least he's not being an insufferable asshole..."

"I'm not an insufferable asshole..." Wes complained, giving the rest of his squadmates a dirty look. Which only gained him the smirks of everyone.

" It's his lack of sleep, probably!" Dash scoffed him, with a lop sided grin.

They all stopped what they were doing to look at the red haired Corellian.

"And just how would you know about my sleeping habits?" The Taanabian inquired him, glaring at the taller man.

"I saw you roaming the corridors at dawn..." He offered him a mocking smile.

"What corridors?" Wedge always liked to make Wes' life a tad more difficult when he could. It was always funny to see the other man dodging their awkward questions.

"The quarters' corridor! It was what? The third time this week?"

Tycho paled slightly. Could Dash actually be aware of something between them?

"So, who's she, Wes?" Wedge asked

"Yeah Wes! Spill it! Who's the victim?" Hobbie poked him.

Luke reclined on his chair, smirking at Wes. "I'm curious too..."

Of course Luke and Wedge would pressure him! After having being caught kissing on the office...on the table...with Luke on top! Wes had been on their case for the remainder of the week, so now they were following up on it and getting their little come back!

"Whoever the person is!" Wes declared, going for a genderless word in order not to give anything away, without having to lie. "It's between the both of us! And only when said person feel secure enough to share that info, will I consider telling you!"

"Some friend you are..." Hobbie grumbled.

"Just because the only person you've been seeing lately, is yourself when you're in front of the mirror, doesn't mean the rest of us don't actually have a life!" Wes punched Hobbie's shoulder playfully.

Luke made an impressed face at the Taanabian. "Sounds serious."

"It is!" He confirmed, causing Tycho to almost choke on his caf.

Wedge looked at the Alderaanian, thinking his reaction was due to Wes' affirmation hurting his feelings.

Wes continued as if hadn't caught Tycho's reaction. " When that person stops being unsure about our relationship, I'll tell you who it is! Satisfied?"

By then the whole Rogue Squadron's elements had gone silent.

Wes Janson?

On a serious relationship?

What was next? Vader would ask for a meeting with Mon Mothma and present the official surrender from the Empire?

Tycho had to school his features into the serious look he normally had on, but inside he was on a turmoil.

Wes wanted to come forward with their relationship! He wasn't joking about it!

A part of him wanted to be able to be with the Taanabian openly, but the other one still feared that Wes wouldn't take the expected reactions from their squadmates, and ended up leaving him anyway...

The makeshift gym was nothing else than just another room carved in the ice, fitted with some exercise machines and weights that had seen better days...

Wes was in the middles of the practice rug, using his _Haalva_ staff on the practice dummy. The heavily decorated staff had been one of few possessions he'd brought with him from his home in Pandath.

The staff had be given to him by his mother, after being at his aunt Roz's care, so his blasted father wouldn't end up selling it to pay either his gambling debts or his drinks! That object carried a deep meaning to him, having belonged to his great grandfather, the first Wes Janson!

 _Haalva_ staffs were a traditional item in the Taanabian culture, passing down from father to son through the generations. This one however, had been offered by his Hapan great grandmother, as a love token to her husband on their first anniversary. And then it had been passed on to his grandfather!

And he knew damn well to whom he wanted to offer it! Not that we was going to explain to Tycho the real meaning behind the staff...

The Alderaanian would freak out about it! Probably would lecture him about going too fast, too soon!

He might be right! But Wes had never felt like this before!

For the first time in his life he was absolutely sure of his feelings. For the first time, whenever he woke up next to Tycho, he actually felt something as he gazed at the other man's sleeping figure!

Yep! Wes Janson had fallen in love!

He finally had what he'd never believed he'd find...someone to come back to!

(end of chapter II)


End file.
